Socio-Economics & History Commentary

Putin Vows to Respond to NATO Expansion

Published on Nov 21, 2016The Russian president has pledged to take countermeasures in response to what he calls NATO’s eastward expansion. Vladimir Putin made the promise in an interview due to air later on Monday. Putin acknowledged that Russia’s reaction to the latest developments in NATO has been emotional. The Russian leader, however, stressed that this type of reaction is justified as Moscow is concerned over NATO’s recent decisions. The Western military alliance has announced it will deploy four additional battalions in Eastern Europe and the Baltic nations, citing security threats from Russia. NATO defense ministers also decided in October to double the size of the alliance’s Response Force to 40000 troops. Moscow maintains that the planned military buildup is a provocation that does not bolster Europe’s security.